The Life and Times of Elsa of Arendelle
by TariaNalu
Summary: A person's life can't be captured in a single story. Especially when said person is a queen blessed with magical, icy powers. You'd need an entire library to cover that. Or, perhaps, an intimate account from an old friend. Thirty years after the untimely death of her sister, Anna finds herself telling her kids (and grandkids) about the short but touching life of Elsa of Arendelle.


**Hi! TariaNalu here! So, with the end of the previous story comes the beginning of a new one! It's still in production, so it might be a while before anything is posted here. So, to get the ball rolling, here's a lite version of the first chapter! Enjoy!**

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><p>The old woman sat on her bed, all alone, save for the single tiara that laid in her delicate hands. She hunched over the crown as she observed its fine, crisp features. The way the ice twisted and curled in intricate, swirling patterns. The reflective, almost luminescent, snowflake design that sat at the top of the crown. The unmistakably warm aura radiating from its cool surface, a reminder of who had created this crown and when it had been given.<p>

She held the crown close to her heart, and allowed a single teardrop to slide down her cheek. It seemed like it was only yesterday when she had received the tiara. But the passage of time, despite its constant presence, can strike quickly and without reserve. For the old woman, time was not a thief, but a murderer.

"It's been thirty years, Elsa," she whispered, as if she could somehow communicate with her sister through the crown. "I miss you so much."

She shut her eyes, feeling cold tears crawl down her cheeks, and sat by herself. The air was silent, except for the sound of the woman's quiet, controlled sobs. They faintly echoed throughout the woman's ornate bedchambers.

_Knock knock._ The silence was broken.

The woman hastily wiped her puffy eyes. "Yes?"

"Anna, are you alright?" said the man behind the door.

"Yes, yes, of course. Come on in, Kristoff."

The old man opened the door, his eyebrows pinched in worry. Immediately, he saw Anna's red face, laden with tears that had been hastily wiped away, and his tense expression relaxed into one of sympathy. He didn't bother asking why she had been crying; the crown in her hands told everything.

"Oh, Anna."

"I wasn't crying!" the old woman insisted. "I was just...reminiscing."

Kristoff chuckled, though the sadness remained in his eyes. "Of course, of course." He sat down on the bed, next to Anna, and stroked her red hair, laden with a few strands of grey. The two of them sat in silence, staring at the brilliant blue tiara that rested in Anna's frail hands.

"We all miss her too, you know," Kristoff finally said.

"It's been thirty years, Kristoff," Anna breathed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Thirty years since she...left us. But no matter how hard I try, I can never seem to let it go..."

Kristoff put a warm hand on Anna's wet cheek and kissed her forehead. "Shh, shh. It's all right, you know. We all have a right to be sad. You especially."

Anna stared somberly at the wall, not bothering to wipe her tears as they fell on Kristoff's royal tunic. "I miss her so much, Kristoff..."

"I know, Anna. I know..."

The two of them continued sitting in silence for a while longer. Anna, her head resting on Kristoff's shoulder, stared solemnly at the tiara of ice, while Kristoff stared at the wall, wrapping a comforting arm around his wife. After Anna's sobs died down a little, Kristoff decided to change the topic.

"You know, the kids are out there."

The effect was immediate. Anna promptly sat straight up, nearly hitting Kristoff's chin with the top of her head. "What? Oh, you didn't tell me! Oh, they must be so bored right now...how long have they been waiting?"

Kristoff glanced at the grandfather clock that stood by the door. "Around...fifteen minutes or so."

Anna was already at the other side of the room, splashing cold water on her face to get rid of the redness. "You should have told me earlier," she said as she threw a handful of water at her face. "I'd have gone out there in an instant."

Kristoff got up from the bed and dusted his clothes. "Well, excuse me. I didn't know if you really wanted to see them."

Anna wiped her face with a towel, looking in the mirror at Kristoff's reflection behind her. "When it comes to my kids," she replied, her voice as optimistic as ever, "I can never say no."

"You mean _our_ kids."

"Right. _Our_ kids."

Slowly, carefully, Anna lifted the ice tiara from its resting spot on the bed, then gently placed it on its designated spot on the bookshelf, alongside a carrot and a giant red book entitled "The Memoirs of Elsa the Snow Queen." Then, after taking a deep breath, she turned around, clapped her hands together, and looked Kristoff right in the eye, all traces of sadness having vanished from her face.

"Now...let's go see our kids!"


End file.
